This from newsroom colleague Bob Prabhu
I just now learnt that our fellow colleague in the BBC TV newsroom, Peter O'kill died yesterday.
Peter was a very kind person and he liked being in everyone's company and enjoyed listening than talking.
I last saw him at Clive Ferguson's funeral church service.
He was very poorly physically and his wife, Jane took good care of him throughout his illness.
It is so cruel to see how life changes with time.
RIP Peter.

For anyone who is in receipt of a BBC Pension, just a reminder that voting is open for the BBC Pension Trust ‘Pensioners Representative’. The last Representative change was more than10 years ago.
Voting is either Electronic (Expect an Email) or Paper (Expect your Postie!) It will be the same method as you receive your annual statement.
I understand, this time 61 people have put their names (which is very unusual !)
Also you can vote for several people, 1 for your first choice, 2 for your second choice etc.  See details on your email or paper vote.
You should find my name (Paul Thackray) somewhere on the (randomly ordered) list of 61 if you fancy putting a low number by my name?  (Actuly I am first in the list!)
You have until 24th September to Vote.
It’s important to make sure your choice(s) are recorded.

According to this web-site (TVB Europe) The BBC R&D has won an Emmy.



"BBC Research and Development has been named as the recipient of this year’s Philo T , Farnsworth Corporate Achievement Award, which honours an agency, company or institution, “whose contributions over time have significantly impacted television technology and engineering.”

The award acknowledges BBC Research and Development’s “proud history of shaping how we watch and experience television,” said the Academy, recognising the team’s work in the development and standardisation of advances such as High-Definition TV (HDTV) and Ultra High-Definition TV (UHDTV), Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) for the carriage of High Dynamic Range (HDR) information and 5G networks. The Academy also looked ahead to the team’s work in researching Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and its leading participation in industry collaboration over the continuing integration of AI throughout the industry.

Craig Abrego, Chair of the Television Academy, said, “Behind every unforgettable moment on screen is a breakthrough in science, technology or engineering. These groundbreaking innovations transform the way stories are created, shared and experienced. We celebrate these Emmy winners for forever changing how we experience the magnificent power of television.”"

Stuart Prebble, the creator of the BBC series Grumpy Old Men and a former CEO of ITV, has died at 74. Prebble died of pancreatic cancer on August 21, his family confirmed.

Prebble was a much-liked TV executive who held senior roles both creative and commercial.

Broadcaster Michael Crick called Prebble “one of the most distinguished TV journalists of modern times” as he paid tribute on X.

I'm sorry to have to report that David J Tollman (Tollers to many of us) sadly passed away on Saturday, 16th August 2025.

Dave joined the BBC as a Technical Operator in 1969 on TO Course 31.

After just a few years he left the BBC to join the fledgling LBC - the UK's first licensed Commercial radio station - which began broadcasting to London on Monday 8th October 1973. Taken on as a Sound Technician, he was soon appointed as a Shift Leader. There, he met Helen, who would later become his wife.

The two of them left LBC after a couple of years, all set to take up employment faraway in Wellington, New Zealand. However, a General Election in 1975, meant the new government's policy to cut immigration came into effect, and before they left the UK their job offers were quickly withdrawn.
Perhaps fortuitously, the two were able to find employment at Beacon Radio in Wolverhampton which was just setting up. Dave became their engineer with Helen employed as a journalist and phone-in presenter.

With a vague idea that he too wanted to become a journalist, in 1979 David left Beacon to do a BA(Hons) degree in International Relations and Politics, achieving a 2/1 degree. However, finding writing those essays a strain, he concluded that journalism probably wasn’t his calling after all!

By then Helen had joined Channel Four News at ITN where the Sound Department were looking for staff, several members having left to join TV-am. With their need of extra staff (to facilitate C4 News) in 1983 Dave joined ITN as a Sound Technician: after a couple of years, he was promoted to Sound Supervisor working on the various ITN bulletins and special programmes - including the General Election programmes of 1992, 1997 and 2001.

After Helen and he divorced in the mid-1980s, he married Judith - a divorcee with two teenage children - in 1999.

But then, on reaching the grand old age of 50, and feeling the need for a better work/life balance, Dave decided to go freelance after the 2001 General Election programme. This gave him the freedom to work not only on the BBC's London News programmes but also its ITV rival 'London News Network' as well as various shifts for BBC News 24 and BBC World - with the occasional Newsnight thrown in!

After working on BBC World's 2005 Election programme, Judith and he decided that they wanted early retirement. They both gave up work and moved to a small village on the Shropshire/Powys border.
In 2017, he was diagnosed with bowel cancer: he underwent surgery but the cancer then spread to his lungs and pelvic area. Sadly more chemotherapy was unable to halt the disease spreading, and he eventually succumbed to its challenge.

His funeral will take place on 1st September at 12:00 in the village church of Llanfair Waterdine in Shropshire [LD7 1TU] with a burial in the cemetery.

Veteran BBC newsman John Osman, who is 96, has become lll suddenly and is now in a hospice. He is alert, says his daughter Lesley, who has messaged the following:
He is comfortably settled in Sobell house hospice in Oxfordshire where they are trying gently to settle things down.
He is thrilled with the messages & memories people are sending him - they trigger laughter & a few stories.
Thanks everyone who has been in contact with me/him. I am reading out every message - it is easier than him having to peer at my phone and read it as his hands are shaky. I think he is still very shocked at the speed of everything that has happened in the last 6 days. He is delighted to be remembered & it gives us lots to talk about & exclaim over.
I will keep you updated.
Thank you again - what a great crowd you are!    
My email is: Lesleyannemorris@hotmail.com

.... and it was dear Badger who gave a certain Fran Unsworth a producer job on Newsbeat at the end of her attachment from Leicester to the Local Radio desk. Talk about talent spotting!

BBC News reports on the death of Blue Peter's Biddy Baxter.

The item is here.


The Guardian has a report here, and an obituary here.

According to this Press Release, the BBC and the Met. Office are reuniting soon.

More, here.

"BBC podcasts and audio are now available on BBC.com".

According to this BBC website, BBC Audio 'abroad' has now changed as from today.

BBC Sounds will no longer be available outside the UK.